


tsundere (welcome home)

by nobrainjustchiakienstar



Series: alkurei shorts [1]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:15:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24072019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nobrainjustchiakienstar/pseuds/nobrainjustchiakienstar
Summary: He says “breaking in” as if he hadn't given Rinne a key months ago, just like he complains that Rinne “steals his food” (helps with the shopping and even helps pay), “gambles his entire savings away” (has a gambling budget now), and “should have been left on the streets” (still debatable).(Now with a sequel!)
Relationships: Amagi Rinne/Shiina Niki
Series: alkurei shorts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1822093
Comments: 29
Kudos: 211





	tsundere (welcome home)

**Author's Note:**

> wow I haven't written in literal years but hahaha Niki Shiina kicked down my door and demanded that I love him so who am I to say no?
> 
> about the formatting: all of the parentheses are intentional I swear I don't normally have that many

Niki’s already in bed when he hears Rinne breaking into his apartment.

He says “breaking in” as if he hadn't given Rinne a key months ago, just like he complains that Rinne “steals his food” (helps with the shopping and even helps pay), “gambles his entire savings away” (has a gambling budget now), and “should have been left on the streets” (still debatable).

Niki knows Rinne’s routine by now. Once the door latches behind him, he takes off his shoes, lets out a loud (though quieter than usual) sigh, and shuffles into the small kitchen where he sets his keys on the counter and grabs the plate of food from the fridge that Niki had prepared for him earlier. If Rinne mentions it the next day, Niki denies that he set it aside for him (“you're welcome, I'm glad you found it”).

Of course Niki isn't actually asleep yet, so he hears Rinne watching videos on his phone while he eats (he won't turn on the TV this late), he hears the sink turn on when Rinne cleans up his dishes (he’ll only clean up after himself when Niki isn't there to see), and he hears Rinne quietly walk down the short hallway to the bathroom for a shower.

Niki knows it'll take Rinne about ten minutes to shower, another five to aggressively towel-dry his thick red hair, and then he'll come into Niki’s room in nothing but a towel. Niki’s always wordlessly laying in bed, facing the wall so Rinne doesn't know he's awake still (he definitely knows). Rinne digs through Niki’s small dresser (theirs, Niki made space for Rinne to store his stuff months ago) for sleepwear (because he knows Niki doesn't appreciate when he sleeps naked). Rinne takes another minute to dress and rub his hair with the towel again before he discards it on the floor (can't clean up _everything_ after all), still taking care not to make too much noise as he steals Niki’s phone charger (the spare, which Niki bought a power strip for so they could stop unplugging the bedside lamp to charge both of their phones).

Rinne pauses for a moment then -- he always does -- and Niki can only assume he's debating what he could do to Niki like this (he’s really noticing that Niki’s breath hitches with anticipation and that he’s been pretending to be asleep, but Rinne won't say anything about it if Niki doesn’t).

Before Niki’s act can fall apart (worse than it already has), the bed dips with Rinne’s weight as he carefully lifts the thin sheets to slide in (Niki always “sleeps” closer to the wall to leave room for him). 

Niki tries to keep his breathing slow and even, even though he knows exactly what’s going to happen and the pounding of his heart is already trying to give away his act.

There's no characteristic groping from Rinne in these moments -- he carefully drapes an arm over Niki’s waist and presses his face into the loose braid Niki wears for bed, letting out another small sigh against his neck. Niki “sleepily” presses back against him just slightly, waiting a few extra seconds before reaching for Rinne’s hand that rests just below his ribs and intertwining their fingers.

Niki knows that Rinne knows he's not really asleep, not even close, but he appreciates that the older man plays along with his act no matter how unconvincing or immature it is.

Their nightly game isn't over quite yet though; it takes a few more minutes of just enjoying the warmth of each other’s bodies for Rinne to shift just slightly to press a barely-there kiss to Niki’s clothed shoulder (“I love you”), before he pulls away just slightly to finally sleep.

Just before Rinne actually drifts off, Niki turns over to finally face him, careful not to disturb the arm over his middle too much. He tucks his head under Rinne’s chin, untangles their fingers so his own arm can rest on Rinne’s hip, and finally starts to drift off to sleep.

(“I love you, too.”)

**Author's Note:**

> stan crazy:B
> 
> edit: holy shit y’all I didn’t expect this to do so well at all! thanks for all of the support and I’m so happy something I wrote on a whim could bring so many of you at least a little joy :>  
> [my twitter](https://twitter.com/shiinyniki)
> 
> Edit edit: if you would like part 2 of this go read hinedere!


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